Railway axle lubricator structure



Sept- 15, 1942- J. J. HENNESSY RAILWAY AXLE LUBRICATOR STRUCTURE FiledDec. 16, 1940 INVENTOR.

JAMES J. HENNESSY 7 ATTORNEY.

Patented Sept. 15, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,296,204 RAILWAYAXLE LUBRICATOR STRUCTURE James J. Hennessy, Montclair, N. J.

Application December 16, 1940, Serial No. 370,264 3 Claims. (01. 302-80)The invention relates to the lubrication of railway axle journals andmore particularlyto the recovery of surplus oil supplied to the journalsof railway driver axles. j

The 'present application is a continuation-inpart of an applicationfiled April 18, 1940, Serial No. 330,242.

The invention is used in connection with mechanical lubricators wherebyoil is pumped to the journal. Such lubricators are designed to feed anadequate supply of lubricant to the journal under unfavorableconditions, for example, when low temperature reduces the fluidity ofthe lubricant,

and when slow movement of the vehicle or,

minimum play of the axle longitudinally of the box provides acomparatively slight pumping action. Hence, when the conditions are morefavorable for pumping the lubricant, there will be an excess amount oflubricant supplied to the journal and this excess lubricant tends totravel longitudinally of the journal beyond the bearing surfaces and toescape from the box and be wasted.

The main object of the present invention is to reduce such loss at therear of the box and bearing by trapping such surface lubricant andreturning it to the lubricant cellar or reservoir from whence it may bepumped again to the jounal.

This and other detailed objects of the invention are attained by thestructure illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which- Figure l isa vertical longitudinal section through a locomotive driver axle box andbearing, and associated structure for preventing the loss of lubricant,the journal and adjacent portions of the wheel hub and axle and themechanical lubricator being shown in elevation.

Figure 2 is a transverse cross section taken on the line 22 of Figure 1.

The axle I includes a journal Zand mounts the driving wheel, having thehub 3, in the usual manner. A bearing 4 rests upon the journal andsupports a box having the topwall 5 and end liner 6.

A cellar and lubricant reservoir 8 is applied to the lower portion ofthe journal and is carried upon a plate I extending between the sidewalls L of the axle box. Cellar 8 extends rearwardly of plate I and thebox side walls and journal 2, and at one side is provided with a sump 9having a valve 912 whereby water may be collected and drained from thereservoir.

A lubricating device is mounted in cellar 8 and.

includes a pump actuated by the play of the axle 55 longitudinally ofthe box whereby lubricant is fed from the cellar through a conduit H] tothe lower face of the journal and is distributed over the latter bysuitable pads I l.

The details of the pumping structure are well known to those skilled inthe art and will not be further described. here.

Oilsupply to the journal is fed under bearing 4 by the upwardly movingside of the journal and forms a film upon which the bearing rests.Surplus oil is squeezed longitudinally of the journal. That portionflowing to the front of the journal is recaptured by the wipersindicated at [2 and by a trough l3 detailed and described in theabovementioned application Serial No. 330,242.

r The axle is provided with a neck l6 of slightly less diameter than thejournal and the remainder of the axle. Preferably the journal extendssomewhat beyond the rear end of bearing 4, and a packing strip 20 ofleather, felt or similar material is applied to the box rear wall andoverlies the shoulder 2| formed at thejunction of journal 2 and neckIB.r

A smi-circular housing I! encloses the upper part of neck l6 and isflanged at l'la for attachment to the rear wall of the driving box bybolts l8. Thelower edges of the sides of housing l'l overlap the upperedges of the sides of cellar 8, and the rear end of housing llterminates in a downturned lip l8 fitting within the rear wall of thecellar. Strips 11a welded to the lower edges of the housing direct oilto the interior of the cellar.

A reenforcing partition plate 22 extends across the rear portion ofcellar 8 and is apertured to position pin 26, and plate 22 and the rearportion of the cellar are further reenforced by cross plate 21. 7

Any oil escaping at the rear end of the journal past packing 20 isdeflected to neck I6 which is of such length that before the oil travelsto the rear thereof it forms a peripheral ring which will break up intodrops and will drop onto plate 22 or will be discharged by centrifugalforce against the side of housing IT or the side wall of the cellar andwill flow down to plate 22 and then drain, through openings 28 in plate22, back to the reservoir where it may be again pumped to the journal.

If any oil flows the full length of neck l6, it will be thrown off ontothe housing or cellar side wall when it reaches shoulder 23. The cellarand housing I! extend beyond shoulder 23 and their inturned rearelements tend to vbaflie the entrance of dirt, water, etc, to theinterior of the housing,

but these elements are not necessary to prevent the loss of oil.

Preferably a wiper 24 is applied to the lower rear portion of journal 2and extends rearwardly of the same and is thrust against same by thespring 25 seated on the bottom of cellar 8 and supporting a pin 25 whichmounts the wiper.

While all of the elements shown have been used together to advantage, itwill be understood that the general principle of the invention may beinvolved if some of the parts are omitted; For example, if packing '20and wiper 24 were not present, the functioning of neck 5 and housing llwould be substantially as described above; The exclusive use of thestructure as described; on in any modified form which oineswithii'ithescope of the appended claims is contemplated;

What is claimed is: 1. In combination, a railway vehicle axle box, ajournal bearing secured therein, an axle h'avJ- ing a journal supportingsaidbearing and, box,

said axle including a neck, portioni ojiles sjdiam' eter than saidjournal and extending'rearwa'r dly;

from said journal and from" theirearoj said box and bearing, a removableflubr'cant'c Hai -car n i box en at ai ournal; here bein a device insaid cellar for? pumping therein to said journal, said cellar includingbottom and side walls extending rearwardly ofgsaid ioumalibearing, h aiide; wa e tend? ing upwardly alongside of said;journalandv neck, and ahousing secured to the rear (ii-said box,

and extending therefrom over-said, neck and downwardly at the sidesthereof and terminating; in forked elements receiving between themi theupper edges of the cellar sid wal s, said housing and the rearwardly"extending" portion of said,

cellar m fieneii iru i ire r l na 1 r u lubricant escaping fromithe rearof said bearing and returning the same to said device.

2, combination,- a railway vehicle axle box,

a ree ll i tin sta ed teem a l a ing' a journal supporting said bearingand box, saidaxle including a neck portion oilesgdiameter than saidjournal and extending rearwardly from said journal and from the rear ofsaid box and bearing and forming a shoulder at the rear of the journal,a removable lubricant cellar carried in said box beneath said journal,ther being a device in said cellar for pumping lubricant therein to saidjournal, said cellar including bottom and side walls extendingrearwardly of said journal, bearing and box, said side walls extendingupwardly alongside of said journal and neck, and a housing'secured tothe rear of said box and extending therefrom over said neck anddownwardly at the sides thereof to meet the sides of said cellar, therebeing a packing between the housi z gzand the rear end of the journalbox and derbtwe'eh' the axle neck and the rear end of thejournal andextending over the top and down waraiy along the sides of the axle to apoint i nearthe top edges of the cellar side walls.

leading said trapped lubricjant back to, saidcellar', I

there being ai'fle'xibl packing, secured to the portion oi, s'afijhQlsihg adiaeenfithe rnal and.

bearing against thejshoulder, formed .by saidjneckf and, XtendinQovertM.erand, side. p r ions.

1,. he e k, Qxmw he s ape I v i from e

